Donna S. Rice, associate vice president for student affairs, has been appointed to a one-year term on the 12-member National Diversity Advisory Council of the American Red Cross.

Widely recognized in educational circles for her work aimed at understanding and promoting cultural diversity, Rice has been involved with the local chapter of the Red Cross since 1993.

The council advises the Red Cross Board of Governor's Human Resources Committee on ways to achieve greater diversity in services, recipients and both the paid and volunteer workforce.

A former director of UB's Educational Opportunity Center, Rice has held numerous teaching and administrative positions at the university since 1972.

For more than 15 years, she worked with the university's English Language Institute. In 1981, she was named director-in-residence for UB's English Language Training Center in Beijing, becoming the first African American to teach English in the Chinese capital.

She is serving a second term on the American Association of University Administrators' board of directors, and was coordinator of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators mentoring network.

Faculty input needed

Faculty can directly participate in information technology planning using a quick and easy Web tool developed by the Provost's Office, Office of Educational Technology and CIT.

A short, online, point-and-click survey asks faculty what software products they require as personal productivity tools, and/or for instruction. Results from the survey will help shape campus decisions as to what software will be made available to faculty through inexpensive site licenses, what software will be available to students in department and public labs, what software will be included on UB's popular Tech Tools CD and what self-help training modules will be available to prepare students for instruction using computer technology.

Planning for the Fall 2000 semester already is under way, so there is an urgent need for immediate faculty participation. The survey's is available at http://wings.buffalo.edu/survey/. To ensure confidentiality, participants are asked to logon using their UNIX ID and password.

For further information, contact Barry Eckert, associate provost for educational technology, at 645-2992.

IREWG to sponsor funding workshop

The Institute for Research and Education on Woman and Gender (IREWG) will hold a workshop, "Funding Opportunities for Graduate Students," from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today in Room 330 of the Student Union.

The Graduate Student Association will provide lunch for those attending.

The session will consist of short presentations providing information on a wide variety of topics, including "Funding Opportunities for Students of Color," "Keeping Your Grant Reviewer Happy and Positive" and "Grant Sources for Graduate School and Beyond."

For further information, contact Rebecca Morrow at 829-3451.

"UB Today" sets March lineup

A tour of the Anderson Gallery will highlight the March edition of "UB Today," the cable television show highlighting UB.

The program, which airs on Adelphia cable, will feature a tour of the gallery led by Carol M. Zemel, chair of the Department of Art History. The gallery building recently was donated to the university by David Anderson.

Other guests on the show will include Kerry S. Grant, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will provide a "you are there" account of the Pan American Exposition, and Kenton Stewart, professor of biological sciences, who will discuss changing weather patterns and lake ice.

The program airs at 6:30 p.m. Sundays on Channel 18 International; Channel 10 in Lancaster, Clarence, Orchard Park and Elma, and at 9 p.m. Mondays on Channel 18 International.

The program is produced by Adelphia for the Alumni Association as a service to the university and the people of Western New York.

Reading rescheduled

A poetry reading by Brenda Coultas and Tim Davis slated for Saturday as part of the "Wednesdays at 4 PLUS" literary series, presented by the Poetics Program, has been rescheduled.

The reading will be held at 8 p.m. April 7 in the Steel Bar, 511 Tri-Main Building, Buffalo.

Piano festival highlights concert schedule

The 10th annual Piano Festival, featuring two days of music performed by six virtuoso pianists, will highlight the March concert schedule presented by the Department of Music.

The festival, directed by Frina Arschanska, associate professor of music, will include performances by Arschanska, Kenwyn Boldt and guest pianists presenting duo piano works by Bach, Brahms and Messaien, among others, on March 26 and March 28.

The schedule will open March 1 with a concert by the UB Symphony, with Magnus Mårtensson, conductor, and featuring Jennifer Kosack, soprano, at 8 p.m. in Slee Concert Hall.

A "Brown Bag Concert" featuring the Amherst Saxophone Quartet, will be held at noon on March 14 in the Slee Lobby. The quartet will present Bach compositions transcribed for saxophones, including-appropriately, his Coffee Cantata. Starbucks coffee is free for all who attend.

Twenty-year-old Ann Elise Smoot, winner of the American Guild of Organists 1998 National Young Artists Competition in Organ Playing, will perform Concert V of the Organ Recital Series at 8 p.m. March 17 in Slee.

The UB Flute Ensemble, directed by Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, will perform a concert entitled "Plosion" at 3 p.m. March 19 in Slee.

The UB Eclectic Ensemble, a group created by faculty member Jon Nelson devoted to diverse and contemporary programming, will perform at 8 p.m. March 22 in Slee.

The Amherst Saxophone Quartet will perform Concert IV of the ASQ Series at 8 p.m. March 23 in Slee. The group will present the world premiere of Terry Riley's Mandala Miniatures, composed for the quartet, as well as the world premiere of new work for marimba and quartet by Steve Parisi.

The Cassatt String quartet will perform Beethoven's Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5, the first of Beethoven's quartets to exhibit theme and variation form, at 8 p.m. March 24 in Slee. The performance will be Concert V in the Slee/Beethoven String Quartet Cycle.

The first of two days of piano music in Slee-the 10th Piano Festival 2000-will begin at 4 p.m. March 26 with a concert by Frina Arschanska and Kenwyn Boldt, who have performed together for more than 30 years.

The second session of the festival will be held at 8 p.m. March 28 in Slee. The concert will feature pianists from Howard University, as well as performances by Arschanska, Boldt and UB freshman Edward Chilunga.

A custom-made piano concert for UB audiences by Ian Pace, a renowned new music pianist, will be held at 4:15 p.m. March 30 in Baird Recital Hall. The concert will include Morton Feldman's Extensions 3 and Sans Hauteur by UB student Sam Mirelman.

The month's schedule will conclude with Concert VI of the Organ Recital Series presented by Bruce Neswick, with Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, flute. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. March 31 in Slee. A former organist at St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, Neswick now is assistant organist-choirmaster at Washington's National Cathedral. The first half of his program spans a 400-range of organ music, while the second half features music from the 20th century.

Tickets to all concerts may be obtained at the Slee box office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at the Center for the Arts box office from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

IREWG announces lectureship

The Institute for Research and Education on Women and Gender (IREWG) has announced the establishment of the Janice L. Moritz Lectureship Fund.

The fund is named in honor of a woman IREWG directors call "one of Western New York's most effective champions for the rights of women and workers in higher education."

Moritz retired in January after more than 20 years of service as a New York State United Teachers' labor relations specialist assigned to United University Professions (UUP), the union that represents SUNY's faculty and professional employees.

The first Janice Moritz Lecture, which will focus on women and labor, will be delivered by Moritz in Fall 2000.

Moritz worked primarily with the four area chapters of UUP: the UB Buffalo Center Chapter, the UB Health Sciences Center Chapter and the Buffalo State College and Fredonia State College chapters. At one time, she was the only woman labor-relations specialist in NYSUT's Western New York Regional Office.

Moritz helped to arbitrate successfully more than a dozen decisions favorable to union members that are now part of the New York State record, and obtained hundreds of favorable decisions at lower levels of the grievance process.

For further information, contact IREWG at 829-3451.

Commencement speaker sought

The University Commencement Committee has announced the criteria for selection of a student representative to address graduates at the 154th University Commencement May 14.

A student speaker was first incorporated into the ceremony in 1991 and has been well received by graduates and their guests. The competition for a commencement speaker is open to all graduating seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences, including special and individualized majors.

Stefanos C. Papazaharias of the College of Arts and Sciences' Undergraduate Education Office, will chair a selection committee comprised of faculty, staff and student representatives.

Seniors who wish to be considered must submit a written version of their speech to Papazaharias. Finalists will present their addresses before the committee on April 6th. The winning speech will be presented by the student at University Commencement.

Speeches should be no longer than three minutes. Selection will be based on relevancy, appropriateness of content, and delivery.

Entries must be submitted by March 23 to the Student Speaker Selection Committee, c/o Stefanos Papazaharias, College of Arts and Sciences, 829 Clemens Hall, North Campus. Papazaharias can be reached at 645-6000, ext. 1231.

"Illegitimate-theatre" comes to CFA

Actor, vaudevillian, dancer and comedian Robert Post will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Drama Theatre of the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

This charismatic and provocative performer combines elements of physical comedy, absurdist theater, dialects, mime and spontaneous dialogue with the audience to present a truly original form of entertainment he calls "illegitimate theatre." Post-who appeared in the CFA last year and is returning by popular demand-will appear as part of the Center for the Arts' "Off Center Series," which introduces the community to fresh, talented and diverse artists in an intimate performance setting.

He has performed in 38 states, as well as in Canada, Mexico and Japan, and has won numerous honors for his work.

Tickets for Post's performance are $7 for the public and $5 for students in advance and $9 for the public and $7 for students the day of the show. Tickets may be purchased at the CFA box office and at all Ticketmaster locations.